The long-standing problem of the Northern Territories has been weighing heavily on relations between Japan and Russia. Summit talks between the two countries in the past have lifted hopes for a new development toward a settlement. Each time, though, hopes waned in due course because a new Soviet or Russian leader apparently thought that keeping a predecessor's commitment was not important.
Still, Japan -- both the government and people -- has not given up placing strong hopes in a Russian leader's visit to Tokyo for talks with Japanese leaders. The reason is simple: A breakthrough in matters of national sovereignty, such as a territorial dispute or border demarcation, can be found basically through the political decisions of a national leader.
That is why Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to Japan this week drew interest here. In talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, he confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Japan by yearend.